Many of my clients cower in fear at the mere word, “sort.” When I probe a bit further, it’s usually because they tell me they don’t know where to put anything. Ahhh, this is a different problem.
My definition of “sort,” has nothing to do with deciding where things go. It’s just about grouping similar items together. Nothing more, nothing less.
So then I re-phrase it. I ask if we can group items together in whichever categories make sense, without making any decisions about what to do with those items. That becomes a far easier task. Clients are willing to give it a try …
And then something magical happens
As we start sorting, clients see several items that can immediately get disposed, because they are nothing more than trash (or recycling). This requires almost no thought-processing.
Then, there will be several other items for which the client immediately says, “I have a place for that.” Great!
A few items will belong to other people. Those get put aside to go back to the rightful owner. (It’s helpful to designate a spot for all things that need to go out of the home, and sometimes that can be a challenge, but we’re not talking about that today.)
All of the above happens with very little mental drain for the client.
Grouping the remaining items, I remind the client, there is no need for tough decisions, now. Just put similar items together. As we sort, clients start to say things like, “You know, I really don’t need this. Let’s donate it.” Or, “Now that I see I have seven of these, I can let three go.”
Again, this is all happening without the client making any effortful decisions. By the time we have sorted through all the items, the volume is usually reduced by a half to two-thirds. It’s almost like magic how easy it was!
As we take a second look at what’s left, clients often get some light-bulb ideas. Even more items can be put away or let go. In fact, it’s not unusual for the whole collection of random items to be dispersed to sensible homes. If not, a bit of brainstorming usually takes care of any remaining items. As a last resort, we stow the considerably smaller volume of things away, to be considered again on another day.
Why does the magic happen?
My theory is that when your brain first sees the random collection of items, it goes into panic mode. All sorts of fight, flight or freeze stuff gets triggered, and your thought processes shut down. But if you give it a little time and just deal with the stuff in a non-threatening way, with no expectations of making any decisions, the panic begins to ebb. The rational brain comes back on line, and you realize you already know what to do with a lot of what is there. And by the time you get down to the last bits, your creative, problem-solving brain is usually fully operational.
Tips for sorting
Remember, sorting is not organizing. It’s not about tough decisions. It is a first step. It’s the gateway to the rest of the organizing process.
- Have a trash and recycling receptacle at the ready, as well as place to stash donation items.
- Don’t worry about where to donate or recycle. Those are separate thought processes and can be addressed later.
- Likewise, don’t worry about where to keep your “keep” items. Just group them into categories, for now. Like with like.
- Keep categories broad. Think “clothing,” not “dress slacks, shirts, jeans, coats …” You can go back and refine your groups later on.
- Tackle small volumes at a time. One drawer, one shelf, one box, one bag.
- Remove items that can go elsewhere, to decrease the visual overwhelm.
- Don’t worry about the “only handle it once” rule. Whoever came up with that rule had no idea what it’s like to try and make decisions when you are in panic mode. It just doesn’t work.